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Article: Chemicals from Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care
Products
- Article from:
- Water:Science and Issues
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Chemicals from Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
The use or consumption of natural resources often leads to ecological alteration. These changes can result from exposure of living systems to stressors ranging from physical alteration (such as
habitat
disruption) to chemical
pollution
. Untoward effects on wildlife and humans can range from the aesthetic to increased morbidity and mortality.
This article focuses on a large class of chemicals designed for use by humans and domestic animals; namely, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, or PPCPs. Although the benefits of these chemicals are undisputed
and wide-ranging, the consequences of their release or escape to the ...